⚓ Port Ghalib evening
- Where
- 15 min south
- Time
- 1 to 2 hours
- How
- Hotel taxi
- Marina walk at sunset.
- Dinner or ice cream by the boats.
- Agree the taxi fare both ways first.
Marsa Alam 🌊
Book one trip at the tour desk. The rest is easy, from the hotel.
🐠 Snorkel the house reef
- Where
- Hotel bay
- Time
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Go in the morning. Calmest water.
- Reef shoes on. Don't stand on coral.
- Stay inside the bay.
🐢 Abu Dabbab: turtles
- Where
- 40 min south
- Time
- Half day
- How
- Tour or taxi
- Walk in from the beach. Shallow, sandy bay.
- Green turtles eat the sea grass. Sometimes a dugong.
- Go early. Big groups arrive late morning.
- Keep 3 m away. Don't touch.
🚤 Glass-bottom boat
- Where
- Port Ghalib
- Time
- 2 hours
- How
- Tour desk
- See the reef without getting wet. Good on a windy day.
🌌 Desert evening
- Where
- Inland
- Time
- Afternoon to night
- How
- Tour pickup
- Jeep to a Bedouin camp. Sunset. Dinner.
- Stargazing. Very dark sky.
- Bring a jacket. The desert gets cold, about 12°.
🌅 Sunrise beach walk
- When
- ~06:20
- Time
- 45 min
- Cost
- Free
- Sun comes up over the sea. Then breakfast.
🏰 El Quseir old town
- Where
- 1 hour north
- Time
- Half day
- How
- Taxi
- Old port. Ottoman fort. Quiet streets. Fish lunch.
🐬 Dolphin House boat trip
- Where
- Sataya or Samadai reef
- Time
- Full day, early start
- How
- Tour pickup
- Spinner dolphins. Deep water, off a boat.
- Ask the dive centre about recent shark sightings first.
- Only with a licensed boat and a guide in the water.
💆 Lazy day
- Pool. Book. Spa or hammam. Nap. Repeat.
🦈 Sea safety
Shark bites are rare, but December is the season for oceanic whitetips. They come in from open water.
- Snorkel inside the reef, in daylight.
- Always as a pair.
- Not at dawn or dusk. Not in murky water.
- Red flag or "no swimming"? Stay out.
- No shiny jewellery. No splashing.
- Stay away from fishing boats and anyone feeding fish.
- Shark seen? Calm. Face it. Back slowly to the reef or the boat.
Sun: UV is strong even in December. Reef-safe sunscreen. Rash vest helps.
Cairo maybes 🐪
If you have time and energy. Uber everywhere.
⛵ Felucca at sunset
- When
- Board ~16:00
- Time
- 1 hour
- Pay
- Per boat, per hour
- Sailboats along the Corniche. Some near Maadi too.
- Agree price and time before you step on.
- Sunset is about 17:00.
🚢 Nile dinner cruise
- When
- Evening
- Time
- 2 hours
- How
- Book a day ahead
- Buffet, music, a belly dancer. Touristy and fun.
🔺 Saqqara and Dahshur
- Where
- South of Cairo
- Time
- 4 to 5 hours
- How
- Hire a driver
- Step Pyramid. Bent and Red Pyramids.
- Far fewer people than Giza.
- Red Pyramid inside: steep and low. Skip if knees complain.
🌳 Al-Azhar Park
- Gardens and a city view at sunset. Café on the hill. Next to Khan el-Khalili.
🏛️ Grand Egyptian Museum
- Only if it rains or you're bored. Next to the pyramids. Tutankhamun.
☕ Zamalek and the Nile
- Leafy island. Cafés. Walk along the river.